Interchangeable wrist or ankle band arrangements

ABSTRACT

A kit for assembling a wearable band arrangement for the wrist or ankle. The kit has a body portion and a band portion. The body portion has a stationary portion and a movable portion. The band portion has attachment media for attaching and detaching to the body portion. The movable portion of the body is movable with respect to the stationary portion, between a first position, where the attachment media of the band portion are connected with the body portion, and a second position, where the attachment media of the band portion are removable from the body portion.

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY

This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/404,060, filed on Apr. 13, 2006, and which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to wristwatches and other types of items typically worn on a wrist or even ankle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since their very invention, wristwatches (or “watches”) have provided an immensely important practical function for those wanting or needing an immediate verification of the time of day or, in many models, the day of the week or actual date. Mechanical watches, with internal clockwork that can be reactivated by winding, have given way to battery-operated watches with analog or digital displays. Even with the advent of cellular phones, which themselves typically provide information long provided by watches, there is little to suggest that the immense popularity of watches will abate in the foreseeable future.

Part and parcel of the popularity of wristwatches, of course, is the immense variety found in their styling. A huge multitude of ornamental styling, in fact, has been developed over the years which has heightened the popularity of watches at different times among different individuals or groups. While the face, or time-bearing, portion of a watch can indeed sport its own unique styling, wristbands also can exude a certain appeal, to different individuals or groups (such as age groups), on the basis of their specific styling.

The variety of styling involved with wristbands is indeed immense but is usually tied in to a single watch “package”, where a wristband is more or less errantly affixed or integrated with respect to a watch body. Interchangeable wristbands have been developed but the methods required for effecting a changeover are usually quite time-consuming and complex. A need has thus been recognized in connection with affording a user-friendly mechanism for exchanging wristbands in the context of a single watch “package”. A similar need has also been recognized in affording such a capability in other contexts, such as wrist-borne or ankle-borne jewelry (e.g., bracelets for the wrist or ankle).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is broadly contemplated herein, in accordance with at least one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, an arrangement for providing for the eased interchangeability of wristbands in the context of a wristwatch package, whereby a movable portion of the watch body can be displaced so as to expose a convenient connection arrangement where wristbands can be reliably detached from and connected to the watch body. Similar arrangements are conceivable in the context of wrist or ankle jewelry, such as wrist and ankle bracelets.

In one aspect, a kit is provided for assembling a wearable band arrangement. The kit has a body portion and a band portion. The body portion has a stationary portion and a movable portion. The band portion has attachment media for attaching and detaching to the body portion. The movable portion is movable with respect to the stationary portion, between a first position, where the attachment media of the band portion are connected with the body portion, and a second position, where the attachment media of the band portion are removable from the body portion.

In another aspect, the movable portion is rotatably displaceable with respect to the stationary portion. The stationary portion can include receptacle portions for accommodating the attachment media of the band portion. Also, the movable portion can have tab portions cooperable with the receptacle portions.

In yet another aspect, in said first position, the tab portions cooperate with the receptacle portions to ensure a secure connection of the attachment media of the band portion with respect to the body portion. Also, in the second position, the tab portions can be disposed away from the receptacle portions to ensure the removability of the attachment media of the band portion from the body portion. In one embodiment, the tab portions are disposed away from some receptacle portions just sufficiently to ensure the removability of the attachment media of the band portion.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further features and advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates, in perspective view, a complete wristwatch package including a watch body and a wristband.

FIG. 2 illustrates, in perspective view, essentially the same wristwatch package as FIG. 1 but with a portion of the watch body displaced.

FIG. 3 illustrates, in perspective view, essentially the same wristwatch package as FIGS. 1 and 2 but with wristband portions detached from the watch body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a wristwatch package 100 that includes a watch body 102 and a wristband including portions 150 a and 150 b. The watch body 102 may be of any conceivable type and could thus include, for example, a digital or analog watch face (not shown) and could be powered electronically or mechanically.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 2, there is preferably provided, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, an arrangement whereby wristband portions 150 a/b can easily be detached and reattached with respect to the watch body 102. As shown, watch body 102 may preferably include a movable portion 104 and a stationary portion 106, whereby movable portion 104, e.g., is rotatably displaceable with respect to stationary portion 106. Movable portion 104 preferably includes tab portions 105 a/b while immovable portion 106 preferably includes receptacle portions 108 a/b. In a first position (as seen in FIG. 1), tab portions 105 a/b are positioned directly above, and cooperate with, receptacle portions 108 a/b while in a second position (as seen in FIG. 2), tab portions 105 a/b are positioned away from receptacle portions 108 a/b.

Thus, as can be appreciated from FIG. 3, when tab portions 105 a/b are in the aforementioned second position, wristband portions 150 a/b can be removed from the watch body 102. Preferably, wristband portions 150 a/b each include a catch portion 152 a/b (respectively) that can be inserted into and removed from a corresponding one of the receptacle portions 108 a/b. Upon such insertion, when movable portion 104 is rotated back into the first position (see FIG. 1) so that tab portions 105 a/b cooperate with receptacle portions 108 a/b, the catch portions 152 a/b will preferably be locked into place to thus ensure that wristband portions 150 a/b are securely attached to the watch body 102. Essentially, catch portions 152 a/b, receptacle portions 108 a/b and tab portions 105 a/b may be configured and disposed essentially in any conceivable manner that would ensure an ease of detachment (of catch portions 152 a/b from receptacle portions 108 a/b) in the “second position” (as in FIGS. 2 and 3) as well as a strong and secure attachment (of catch portions 152 a/b with respect to receptacle portions 108 a/b and tab portions 105 a/b) in the “second position” (as in FIG. 1).

Though a wide variety of arrangements are conceivable, it will preferably be the case that movable portion 104 rotates away from the “first position” (as in FIG. 1) only to an extent needed to fully ensure that catch portions 152 a/b can be removed from receptacle portions 108 a/b; such a limit of rotation can be appreciated from FIGS. 2 and 3. Though essentially any workable arrangement is conceivable, tabs 105 a/b may preferably lock into place with respect to receptacle portions 108 a/b when in the “first position” (as in FIG. 1).

Essentially any type of wristband is conceivable in the context discussed hereinabove. Accordingly, though a two-part wristband is shown (wherein those ends of the wristband 150 a/b that do not attach to the watch body 102 are themselves attachable to one another so as to complete the “loop” around a user's wrist), a unitary wristband is also conceivable (such as a unitary elastic wristband with two ends that only attach to a watch body). The concepts discussed hereabove could be applied to the case of a reversible wristband, where one and the same wristband could be detached from a watch body, “flipped over”, and reattached. Contexts other than wristwatches are also conceivable within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention. For instance, a wrist or ankle bracelet that has a central body (analogous to the watch body 102 described and illustrated herein) could include a band, or band portions, that is/are attachable and detachable with respect to the central body in a manner substantially similar to that described hereinabove.

If not otherwise stated herein, it is to be assumed that all patents, patent applications, patent publications and other publications (including web-based publications) mentioned and cited herein are hereby fully incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in their entirety herein.

Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. 

1. A kit for assembling a wearable band arrangement, said kit comprising: a body portion; and a band portion; said body portion comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion; said band portion comprising attachment media for attaching and detaching with respect to said body portion; said movable portion being movable with respect to said stationary portion, between: a first position, wherein said attachment media of said band portion are connected with said body portion; and a second position, wherein said attachment media of said band portion are removable from said body portion.
 2. The kit according to claim 1, wherein said band portion is interchangeable with at least one other band portion.
 3. The kit according to claim 1, wherein said movable portion is rotatably displaceable with respect to said stationary portion.
 4. The kit according to claim 1, wherein said stationary portion comprises receptacle portions for accommodating said attachment media of said band portion.
 5. The kit according to claim 4, wherein said movable portion comprises tab portions cooperable with said receptacle portions.
 6. The kit according to claim 5 wherein, in said first position, said tab portions cooperate with said receptacle portions to ensure a secure connection of said attachment media of said band portion with respect to said body portion.
 7. The kit according to claim 5 wherein, in said second position, said tab portions are disposed away from said receptacle portions to ensure the removability of said attachment media of said band portion from said body portion.
 8. The kit according to claim 7 wherein, in said second position, said tab portions are disposed away from some receptacle portions just sufficiently to ensure the removability of said attachment media of said band portion from said body portion.
 9. The kit according to claim 1, wherein said wearable band arrangement comprises a wristwatch.
 10. The kit according to claim 1, wherein said wearable band arrangement comprises a wrist bracelet.
 11. The kit according to claim 1, wherein said wearable band arrangement comprises an ankle bracelet. 